Duel of Duality
by Dantaron
Summary: [The Second Attack] Regulus is brooding alone on Thantos after the events of TSA, training. However, he is interrupted by a not entirely unwelcome visitor... RegulusZoniha [oneshot]


_Author's Note:_

After recently completing The Second Attack at the urging of a friend, I decided it would be a fun fandom to write for. And so, I bring to you dualshipping - that's 'dual' relationshipping, for those of you unfamiliar with the term - Regulus and Zoniha. The title of this fanfic was partly derived from that ship name.

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, Bomberman and it's characters don't belong to me. If they did, we'd be seeing a decent sequel with all the lovable Second Attack characters, kthxbai.

And a huge thank-you to the aforementioned friend, Sora G. Silverwind, for taking the time to beta-read this, and getting me into the fandom in the first place.

Duel of Duality

Regulus roved around the city of Thantos, deep in the intensive training that made him the man and warrior he was. The sky was its typical angry black, and was getting gloomier by the minute. Thantos shouldn't produce anything else, Regulus reflected behind his visor, and backflipped off a wall to fire a Gravity Sphere at a car below, instantly impounding it in a black hole of gravity. The air rushed around his helmet as it plunged towards the vortex, and he kept his momentum going to avoid being sucked in with it.

He landed on the roof of a pizza hut, and paused for a moment's breather. A second later, he was off again, leaping nimbly from building to building en route to his battleground, the television tower. It was from there that he taped all his most glorious battles, to watch afterwards to try to recover the thrill of the fight, the taste of adrenaline in his veins, and on a more practical side, to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of both himself and his opponent. More often then not, he crushed his adversaries without breaking a sweat, but two battles in particular had shaken his unshakable confidence in himself.

First, against Rukifellth, the Dark Messenger. This sorely burned him, for not only was he defeated, he actually allowed himself to be slain. He was only alive today by the charity of some celestial being, the Angel – and he didn't need her pity.

Secondly, against Bomberman, his most hated foe. To be defeated once _may_ be forgivable and excusable on error of circumstance, but to be defeated twice – that was an unforgivable sin.

_Though, because of the Angel's pity,_ he considered,_ I have a second chance to avenge myself on my enemies. And regain my title of strongest in the universe._

He raised his hand and sent out ripples of gravity, questing throughout his city. His hand surrounded itself in a black aura, and the ripples seized on a blasted car, driven halfway into a building. Concentrating, he manipulated gravity and ripped the car from the wall, then increased it on the automobile's dorsal side to raise it high into the air, to ultimately crash it down before him.

He studied the wrecked steel for a moment before sliding into a battle stance – legs braced wide outwards and hands raised at chest level. Cords of black energy wrapped themselves around his wrists and then ripped outward, growing into claws of gravity that sheered through anything – leaving behind distortion in their wake. It was a new invention of his, and he liked the theory with the kind of savage intensity he felt for everything else. He pictured Bomberman's body crumpling like a cracked toothpick as the claws slashed into his spine, and smiled under his visor. It was time to give them a test run.

With a cat-like grace that belied his heavy armour, he bent one knee and sprung off to the side, trailing one claw behind him whilst keeping the other in front of him, as a guard. He ran it through the steel like a hot knife through Bomberman, leaving a mess of twisted metal behind that resembled one a monstrous whirlpool. It was rent out of shape and faintly glowing from the friction of being torn from molecule to molecule.

He smiled, and retracted the claws, in a manner of speaking. The darkness and gravity he drew from dissolved and returned to the great skein of darkness. He gave a contented sigh, they worked excellently. Regulus grinned. He was sure Bomberman would approve when he was given the chance to see them: up close and personal on the battlefield, as it should be.

He raised his hands once more, lifting the once-car off the ground and levitating it towards the darker centres of the city.

"Not too bad, Regulus," a feminine voice said approvingly from behind him.

His concentration disrupted, his control over the car wobbled and failed, sending it crashing down on one of the buildings below. "Zoniha!" he said coolly, and clenched his fists. "I would never have guessed you possessed the skill to sneak up on me."

Zoniha threw her head back and laughed. "I see you haven't changed a bit, old boy. Glad to see me?"

He scowled beneath his visor. "Ecstatic. I was under the impression that you and Zhael had left on a quest of your own. Remind me what the purpose of that was?"  
"Why, to search the galaxy for men who know how to handle their women, of course!" she battered her eyelashes playfully. "Men with big… muscles."

"And I suppose that brings you here?" he raised an eyebrow, amused. "In case it slipped your mind, Zoniha, I don't care about anyone. People who come here are looking for one thing and one thing alone: a fight."

She cocked an eyebrow at him, and leaned on one hip. "Still have your panties in a bunch over that Bomberman?" she said airily. "Holding grudges isn't good for anyone, you know. You don't see me complaining, and you killed me!" She gave a dramatic gasp and held one hand over her heart, and affected a devastated expression.

_You don't have a grudge because you're too naive,_ he thought. "You got in my way."

"Am I in your way now, dearest Regulus?"

"Nearly, Zoniha. Nearly."

"Clearly, I'm not trying hard enough." She snapped her glove tighter on her hand, then glanced sideways at Regulus. "Tell me, are you still a fighter deserving of a reputation the size of the Noah?"

"Is that an invitation to find out?" he challenged.

"You know it, sweetcheeks."

Zoniha cartwheeled backwards and turned it into a flip, giving Regulus a shot of her panties as she built up momentum. She landed in a crouch with her hair falling all around her, forming a whip of light as she did so. She jumped up and lashed with her whip, playfulness evident in her eyes.

"I rather love a woman who likes it rough," Regulus smirked, and formed his gravity claws.

Her whip was drawn to his claws by virtue of gravitational attraction and wound around the blades, and Zoniha waited for the moment where it drew taut before pulling back, hard. Regulus stood his ground, shifting his stance infinitesimally to better balance himself. He swung his arm upwards and sent Zoniha flying through the air. She lost her grip on the whip of light, which promptly dissolved into a shimmery gold cloud.

She somersaulted over his head and landed on all fours, her back to Regulus. "Well… looks like you still got it," she stood with a laugh, catching her breath. She flicked her wrist and formed a second whip, snapping it with an offhand crack. "Let's see if you can keep it up!"

Zoniha spun the whip over her head and unleashed a barrage of lashes. The result was the same each time as the whip attempted to cling to the gravitational claws, and she had to constantly pull back to avoid another deadlock. "Zoniha, I thought you were better than this," he said, sounding disappointed. He then went on the offensive, ducking and running in low with his claws at his sides to prevent a premature parry.

Zoniha simply grinned and leapt up, planting one of her dainty feet on his shoulder. She sprung up and wheeled around in midair, lashing out with her whip. Regulus choked with surprise as it wrapped around his neck and hauled him backwards, and fought Zoniha by pulling his head in and pushing forward.

She gave a surprised yelp as his strength overpowered her and she hurtled towards the ground, crashing into Regulus' back and flattening them both aganst the concrete. Stunned, they lost control of their elemental weapons, which faded away as they recovered and turned to hand-to-hand combat – something Regulus was quite skilled in. With minimal effort, he rolled over onto Zoniha and pinned her to the roof.

"Point, Zoniha," he said, and flicked up his visor to smile patronisingly at her.

"I hate you," she growled, her lilac hair plastered against her forehead. She struggled to get free and take a swing at him, but he just tightened his grip on her wrist. Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her.

Zoniha tried to push him off her or knee him in a particularly vulnerable spot, but he was too strong for her. He simply tucked an arm around her back and held her tightly, deepening the kiss.

Inwardly, she smiled as he ran his gloved hand through her hair. She loved a man who wouldn't take no for an answer.

They went on for a long while, not bothering to count the minutes. For them, passion was a battle of its own, and distraction was not an option.

Eventually, they grew tired and broke apart, Zoniha leaning back and resting entirely in Regulus strong grip as he absently brushed her hair with his fingers, a rare sign of affection from the Black Breath. "Why is it all of our duels end up this way?" she asked, not really caring about the answer.

"Because you love me," he murmured, not really caring either. He paused mid-brush, and Zoniha turned around. "I trust you are still continuing your quest for men?" he asked, and then resumed his attentions to her hair.

She giggled, and leaned back again. "No, silly boy. I don't need to. I have all the man I could want right here."

He gave a low laugh. "For once, Zoniha, you speak the truth."

She rolled her eyes. "How did I not expect that?" she leaned back further, and glanced up into his face – one that few were privileged enough to see. "We should duel more often. I think you're getting rusty, Regulus."

"There is nothing wrong with my skills, woman." He said haughtily.

She grinned in anticipation. "Round two?"

"So be it."


End file.
